We asked writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here is the best in arts and culture.
Arts & Culture
Posted inNonfiction
The Story of Salvador’s Banda Didá
In a country with violent history and violent politics, Brazil’s first all-female, Afro-Brazilian percussion group drums and dances and changes lives.
Posted inArts & Culture, Culture, Feature, History, Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Story
All Hail the Rat King
From Martin Luther to The Nutcracker, Germany’s original national nightmare was a tangled knot of writhing rats.
Posted inNonfiction
In Praise of Del Amitri’s Album Waking Hours
Some albums make it hard to separate the music from the experience of listening to it.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books, Essays & Criticism, Story
Bully for You
Women with power have the capacity to silence women with less — and they wield it. Why can’t they see that?
Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Quote Posts, Quotes
Thou Shalt Not Mess With a Mom in a “Mamacita Needs a Margarita” Sweater
“This mom runs on caffeine, wine, and Amazon Prime” is a funny t-shirt slogan, but there is a serious social phenomenon behind it.
Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Quote Posts, Quotes
How Jazz Pianist Erroll Garner Fought for His Rights
When Columbia Records breached one of their big star’s contracts back in the 1950s, he sued and won.
Posted inArts & Culture, Culture, Essays & Criticism, Feature, History, Nonfiction, Story
Let Me Show You the World
Almost everything you think you know about Aladdin is wrong.
Posted inArts & Culture, Highlight, Quote Posts, Quotes
Willie Nelson’s 50-year Love Affair with Trigger, His Faithful Guitar
“A guitar sounds better as it gets older, just like a Stradivarius does.”
Posted inStory
Under the Influence: Watch(wo)men
We watch the (women) influencers watching the (heavily female) influencing industry, but the men aren’t entirely in the dark.